One girl's twistedly fantastic interpretation of what the hell is really going on in those tribes.

Monday, May 13, 2013

It's So Lonely At The Top

If I had a band, I would call it 'Symbiotic Reciprocity'. Just a lute and a pan flute. Strings plucked and air kissed creating whimsical jaunty melodies. Working in tandem and feeding off of one another as pairs are often wont to do. Ribbons and lace, earth and sky, muses and nymphs, dimples and tweets, gin and glitter, dogs and bars. When two ideas, two entities, two seemingly uninspired attempts at greatness make love and absorb each other's essence, something fragrant and sweet is created. When once isn't enough, twice is always better. Why be alone when you can be together? Give and take. Take and give. If at first you don't succeed, try again a second time. Two. Dos. Deux. Due. Zwei. Hard syllables firm in declaration. Teeth separated by something soft and moist. Little enamel enunciations spelling out so much more than words. It has been a harrowing sojourn in Southeast Asia. We've been down and then down again. Once, twice, maybe three times we soared for the briefest of breaths. Only to crash face first in the mud and the sludge. Dizzy, confused and desperate, we sloshed about yearning for our high again. One thing we didn't do was give up. And neither did our intrepid victor. Give up and you can never smile at your own reflection. Give up and an understudy will sweep in to take over. Give up and the play will continue without you. But persist... persist!... and you might find your pocket lined with one million ducats (a cigarette butt and a used condom if you're Jeff Kent). Let's recap, shall we?

We continue our sultry saga under the cover of night. Blackness in our souls and blackness in the air. The only light is the soft reflection from that eternal full moon. Have you ever noticed how the moon never wanes in The Philippines? It is always robust, always hearty, always there to light our way and reveal our inner icky. Speaking of icky, the shaggiest of poodles teeters apprehensively on bony limbs. He grabs a tree branch and tries to steady himself, but the world whizzes by at breakneck speed. Plants, trees, monkeys, tarsiers, the coconut singers... whoosh! When the tree branch too escapes his grip and swirls on by, Erik collapses into a hairy pile while firmly clutching his head. It began back at Tribal Council. What was one Dimple became two Dimples and then three and then four. The fire spurted and sputtered seeming to swallow up the entire cast. He tried to ignore it. I mean, why not? Watching Phillip engulfed in a fiery inferno isn't so bad, is it? But when the fire and the visions and the world continued to twirl, Erik knew this was much much more than wishful thinking.

The remaining Survivors failed to make it out of the Tribal Council staging area before Erik's collapse. And it's a good thing too. A hundred yards more into the jungle thick and Dimples would have been back in his opium den planning his next talk show. Lucky for everyone involved, he's still here to offer a sympathetic hand.

Dr. Joe and Dr. Jen are quickly ushered in to give Erik the once over. With his blood pressure plummeting and the coconut singers still doing their do-si-do's, Erik is diagnosed with malnutrition, dehydration, low blood pressure, acid flashbacks and being terminally boring. Now, I'm not a doctor - although I sometimes play one in this here blog - but Erik just ate earlier in the day! Or did he? Was he too busy making hearts with his arms and giving the Darrell's head noogies to sit down and enjoy one of Bubba Cochran's burgers? How many calories a day does a person contemplating a grain of sand need? Let's not forget, this is the guy who goes on every Reward. Pfft!

And so, after some quick poking and prodding, Dr. Joe concludes that there isn't enough blood getting to Erik's head (I've been saying this since day one!) and he must be pulled from the game. Hearing this news, a slow smile spreads across Cochran's face. He tries to hide it by covering his mouth with his hand, but we know he's twirling his mustache behind those dirty nails of his. He knows the scraggly hippy in the sand just made him one million dollars richer. We can pretend that Theddie (Eddie) and Calgon (Dawn) are threats. We can tell ourselves that Theddie has his bros on the Jury and Calgon is the old lady in the shoe struggling to feed her children, but we know better than that. Cochran knows better than that! And if I didn't know any better, I'd say Bubba laced Erik's burger with arsenic, old lace and some sort of neurotoxin undetectable by your average toxicology tests.

Back at Edamame (Enil Edam), Cochran shuffles his feet across the peace sign in the sand while stifling giggles. The three players left aren't really a threat to him, but there is the off chance that Theddie could actually win the next Immunity Challenge. If that is the case, then Cochran needs to get to Theddie before anyone else can. Theddie is the one person that Cochran hasn't bothered to bond with so whether or not Theddie stays or goes, it is in Cochran's best interest to start feigning fascination with boobs, beers, and bros. But before Cochran can study up on beer pong and spring break in Daytona, it is Theddie who makes the first move on Cochran. The way Theddie sees it, Cochran has the best chance of winning if he goes to the final three with Freebush (Sherri) and himself. The two shake on what we know to be a very flimsy final three deal.

And this brings us to the big Reward Challenge. Come on in guys! For today's Challenge, you will use one hand to steady a balancing board while the other attempts to build a house of cards. The first person to build their house high enough wins an advantage in the final Immunity Challenge. Umm, I need to interject here - NO advantages in any way, shape or form should be given at this juncture in the game. Final Immunity should be won on your own merits. There is too much at stake for, let's say, a hugely unfair advantage to propel you into the finals. More on that later. Survivors ready, go!

I'm going to cruise this real quick because we've got a cantankerous jury to get to. Build, build, build, fall, fall, fall. Hands shaking like leaves. Freebush could never be Lady Justice. The scales of truth and fairness would slide into the dirt and the entire judicial system would lose all value. Build, fall, build, fall... COCHRAN WINS REWARD!!! Calgon promptly rushes him and applies a thick layer of compliments and that motherly guilt she's so darn good at. If "Congratulations" was an Olympic sport, Calgon would be champion of the universe.

Back at Edamame, Cochran is basking in the glow of his Reward win. And like that food challenge win, he won this last Reward Challenge fair and square. If I pull out my abacus and do some swift adding, that would make 2 Challenge wins for the lad. The one where he held onto 10 pounds of weight as the others held onto 2000 doesn't count and I will forever, until the end of time, refuse to count it. Cochran, on the other hand, counts it, gilds it, mounts it and polishes it. He is proud of those 3 (read: 2) wins. Now, I may not add the same as Cochran does and I may bitch endlessly about it, but the one thing those wins are doing for Cochran, the one thing I can never take away from him, is the effect they are having on his self esteem. To a person whose number one enemy is himself, that little extra oomph is invaluable.

On the other end of the spectrum we have Freebush. As interesting as bark and about as noteworthy as some sand in your bikini bottoms, Freebush is overflowing with self esteem - to a disturbing degree. Isn't that a pisser? A likable cerebral guy with a biting wit like Cochran fights day in and day out to wave away doubt and insecurity while a leathery broad who is about as interesting as a carpet fiber has too much self esteem for her own good. But the thing about an overabundance of self esteem is that delusion is commonly a byproduct. You see, Freebush has decided that she wants to go to the end with Theddie and Cochran. In that tanned hide she calls a head, she has decided that Calgon is too much of a threat were she to make it to the final three. With her tears and wallet photos of her 6 shoeless children, the Jury will have no choice but to award Calgon the million dollars.

And then we have Calgon. Nervous Nelly Calgon who has been the center of much Survivor chatter this past weekend. Others scoff and attack when she drops the Mormon act and loses her cool, but I, on the other hand, love those moments of paranoia and anger. Those glimpses behind the perfect facade are what I live for. Sitting around watching a do gooding Mormon mom whisk eggs and dustbust under the refrigerator is boring. But the loss of control, the red face, the angry fists, the accidental profanity... that's life, baby. That's the good stuff. Those primal urges that no matter how hard you try to suffocate, always, always, have a funny way of rising to the surface. Having said that, entertaining as her paranoia may be, it is tiresome and exhausting for someone like Cochran to have to deal with on a daily basis. Cochran has his own demons to conquer and quell. Having to babysit Calgon and whatever new emotion she is about to discover is proving to be not only difficult, but dangerous. Could Cochran screw up his game if, out of pure exhaustion, he drops Calgon? He'll have plenty of time to mull it over in this next segment...

... where a bunch of people died and I took the opportunity to pour myself another tumbler of gin. I boycotted the In Memoriam segment years ago and that boycott continues today.

And this brings us to the big Immunity Challenge. Come on in guys! For today's Challenge, you will race up a three story tower and untie a bag of puzzle pieces. Once you have your bag, you will launch yourself down a slide and drop your bag at your puzzle desk. Once you've collected all three bags, you will then construct a demon hellfire puzzle of Hantzian proportions. The first person to finish their puzzle wins Immunity and will secure their place in the final three. Cochran, since you won that advantage that has no business existing this late in the game, you will have all of your bags already untied for you. Survivors ready, go!

The Challenge begins as the remaining Survivors burst forth. Up the stairs they go. Some taking one step at a time and some skipping two by two. But what we didn't realize, what we couldn't possibly have anticipated, is that those puzzle bags are tied into place using the most complicated nautical knots known to man. Alpine Butterfly intricately tangled with a Carrick Bend. A pesky Poacher's Knot wrapped around a Trucker's Hitch. Quick nimble fingers can tangle with the knots as agile as you please, but Cochran has already collected his last bag and is starting his puzzle.

Thankfully, the puzzle is much harder than it sounds. The flames of the ninth ring of hell are not only wily and deceptive, but they are wiggedy whack in nature. Flit, poof, hiss! Sputter, spoot, crackle! Even the most cunning of minds have difficulty navigating the chaos. And so, with all four players finally at the puzzle desks, Freebush makes a stunning Challenge debut (I say "debut" since she has drowned in all of the other Challenges up until now) and actually begins to lock in some puzzle pieces. Calgon is right behind her placing several pieces of her own. Poor Theddie and Cochran duck and weave under the raging flames while the women, probably used to hot flashes, simply perspire and trundle onward.

Cochran's lead has effectively vanished, but you kind of have to wonder where he'd be if he actually had to untie those bags. Would Freebush and Calgon be farther along? Would Theddie have traded in his buffoon giggles for actual concentration? We can "what if" ourselves until we're loco in the cabeza. It won't change the fact that that was a ridiculous advantage for such a crucial Challenge because... COCHRAN WINS IMMUNITY!!!

One more win and one more notch on Cochran's belt. Why, the lad is quite plainly arrogant at this point. In his mind, he has just won a million dollars. And while I agree with him wholeheartedly, I find the grandstanding to be a little off putting. The "now I have to decide who wins second place" is very Cochran of yesteryear. You remember him, don't you? The one his entire tribe hated with a burning passion. Catching that glimpse of vintage Cochran peeking through makes what he has done this season all the more remarkable. Imagine the effort it took to bite his tongue for the past 39 days. The restraint he had to hone in order to come across as not only nonthreatening, but likable. If he really wanted to, he could probably be a fantastic serial killer.

And then we have Theddie. Universally likable and silly. With not a strategic bone in his body, Theddie is smiles and jokes. He'll rip the top off of a beer with his teeth and leer openly at women's breasts, but we can't hate him! He is good times and noodle salad. A simple man with a simple dream to unite his two loves in life - dogs and beer. Puppy dogs are adorable and furry and well, beer is beer! Combine the two in a beachside establishment called Waggin' Tails Pub and you've got yourself more than a million dollars, my friend. You've got yourself the best idea since gin and glitter.

And this brings us to Tribal Council. I have to admit I was a little surprised when Erik came trotting in with the Jury. Call me crazy, but if you're pulled from the game, then shouldn't you be pulled from the Jury? It seems odd that one would retain full Jury privileges after a medical emergency. If it was a broken leg, they wouldn't be wheeling him in on a stretcher would they?

Nevertheless! Here we are and that barking mad entrepreneur, Theddie, is OK with Erik getting pulled from the game since he was under the impression that the Erik, Calgon and Freebush had a final three alliance. Whether this is true or not, we'll never know. The fact remains that Cochran couldn't be more pleased, or lucky, that Erik was about to walk into the light.

And so, as a wise man once said, "likability is a liability" as Theddie is the 17th person voted out of Survivor Caramoan. Good luck with Bars & Barks, my friend. Be sure to invite me to the opening.

The next day at Edamame the mood is relaxed and everyone is loosey goosey for the most part. They know a feast is coming and it is just a matter of watching the sun descend into the ocean before Cochran has the biggest night of his life. In the meantime though, Freebush is working on her closing arguments and wondering how one would define the word "pawn". Cochran, reclining in a bamboo beach chair, replies, "Pawns are worthless, basically. No strategic input. No strengths. And, they're expendable." Freebush nods and whispers, "OK." She looks down at the notepad in her hand and scratches out the word "pawn". That clearly won't work when trying to convince the Jury she should win. What about some of the other words on her list? "Sacrificial lamb", hostage, victim... Oh wait, here's one! Superfluous. It has super in it so it must be good. Superfluous it is!

And through the magic of time, here we are at the final Tribal Council. It has taken months to get here. Tens of thousands of words typed. Hours upon hours of thinking up different ways to describe things like air, water and acid trips. We laughed, we cringed, we cried, we threatened to slice our wrists with whatever sharp object we could find, but we made it. We did it! We made some new friends, caught up with old friends, drank too little, drank too much. We stumbled barefoot through day after's and somehow still managed to emerge with our dignity (long gone) and our nipples sparkling. What a long strange trip it has been.

And now gentle ladies and gentlemen, we will hear the opening statements from our finalists.

Calgon stands demurely while hiding the pickaxe in her flowing skirts...
"I look at all of you, my children, and I am deeply humbled. *a ninja star falls out of her bra and hits the ground* You know how difficult this has been for me this season... *she stares accusingly at the entire front row* don't you? Mother doesn't like it when her children disobey her." *a pipe bomb slides out of her headband* I gave myself permission to play the game because god knows you ungrateful brats haven't given me spit!" And then she covered her face and cried while using the tiptoe of her Ked to nudge the pipe bomb under Cochran's seat. I think she's grown this season, don't you?

Freebush is up next. She stands in a baggy pair of pants I'd wish she'd worn more throughout the season and then *plop!* she falls over and drools into the dirt. Cochran and Dimples almost lean over to help her, but decide, in the end, that it's not worth the effort.

Cochran is up last and, let's get real, the kid went to law school. He has literally studied how to address a Jury. He knows what words to put where, when to sound authoritative ("I had to be Calgon's therapist") and when to appear humble ("I wore a Survivor buff to school and wrote a Survivor newsletter!"). He has spent 13 years crafting this final speech and it shows. He is clear and concise with that perfect touch of whimsy.

And now, Jury, it is your turn to address the Finalists. First up is *dims the lights* Golden Boy (Malcolm). He begins by approaching Freebush and placing a paper bag over her head. He then tells Calgon and Cochran that his vote is still up in the air. Next, he does something interesting. Instead of asking Calgon a question, he offers her up some advice. He tells her that she needs to come out and admit that she's a cold-blooded (killer). Just admit it! Admit you stabbed people in the back. Admit you betrayed your closest friends. Embrace it and admit it. Golden Boy doesn't care for the innocent mommy facade when Aileen Wuornos is lurking underneath that gingham polishing her gun. To Cochran he asks, "What quality do you have that I don't?" And then he took off his shirt and let his hair down. Cochran had nothing to say. And neither did we.

Next up is the owner of Woofs & Giggles - Tuesday night is Bitches Night! Theddie, looking a little like Tony Manero, asks Freebush if she is finally ready to admit that she has been carried to the finals. Freebush does that clenched smile thing that is so infuriating and shakes her head no. The Jury erupts into a fit of giggles and, in that moment, Freebush's world, her onion fries, her Dorito pizza and her Chalupa nuggets all came crashing down around her. The Jury started throwing packets of ketchup and mild sauce at her head as she covered herself with a napkin.

And this brings us to *snaps to attention and salutes* Phillip Sheppard. "Freebush, by the power vested in me as a crackerjack girl scout, I am hereby stripping you of all of your merit badges. You will henceforth be forbidden to attend the annual jamboree. Your cookies will be confiscated and divided up amongst my myself." He then turns to Calgon, "Calgon, since I have been living at Ponderosa, I have had the great fortune to study acting with Dame Reynold..." And then he burst into tears and starting clawing at the ground. The Dame sat in the mezzanine and watched carefully through his opera glasses. Vocal projection - good. Subtlety and nuance - needs work.

Erik, that peaceful guy dying from malnutrition a day earlier, is up next. He spits at Calgon, "Are you aware of the damage you caused?" Damage? *looks around the room* The damage of, oh I don't know, voting out a strategic player and playing the game? Is that the damage you're talking about, Erik? This isn't a Phish concert. We're not passing around nitrous balloons and adhering to the honor code. This is a game for a million dollars. Calgon replies that she was simply playing the game and staying loyal to her alliance. It was a true answer to a moronic question and I applaud Calgon for it.

Next up is Gay (Michael). We didn't really get to know Gay, but he has always struck me as a level-headed kind of a guy. And level-headed he is indeed. Out of all of the Jurors, Gay is the only one to recognize that even though Cochran and Calgon essentially played the same game and voted the same week in and week out, only Calgon is getting the backlash from the victimized Jurors. And while this point is astute and accurate, it also further highlights the finesse in which Cochran played his game compared to how Calgon played hers.

Everyone, shh. The great actress of stage and screen is up next and I have been deprived of his charms for much much too long. *the curtain parts*
"If we Jurors have offended
Think but this, and all is mended,
That you have but stumbled here
While all these vision did appear.
And this weak and idle theme,
Fans versus Favorites, what a scream,
Gentles, do not reprehend:
if you pardon, we will mend:
And, as I am an honest Puck
Freebush, you do really doth suck
Now to 'scape the serpent's tongue,
We will make amends ere long;
Else the Puck, a liar call;
Do it to me Calgon,
Make me bawl!
Give me your hands, if we be friends,
And this Dame shall restore amends."
And then he dropped a handkerchief as the crowd rose to their feet. *tear*

Then Mascaroni (Andrea) got up and said something nice. She's not bitter, she's grateful. *yawn* Next!

I've written and rewritten this next part several times and, for some reason, it's not coming out right. Stooping to the level of someone I find so abhorrent isn't what I want to do here. Instead, I'll just keep it simple...

Calgon, you've been a great friend to the blog. Not only did you laugh when I compared you to the mom in Psycho, but you played such a consistently interesting game that I was able to have some whacky fun with your character. Thank you so much for your support. I hope we get to see you back on social media soon. Love ya lady! And congratulations! Final three!!!

And with a whoosh and our hair blowing in the breeze, we arrive at the Survivor Reunion. I took one look at that devilishly handsome Golden Boy sitting there with his hair down and I knew - I knew! - that it was going to be a good night indeed. The stars were twinkling, Dimples was smiling, and there was a rightness in the air.

So, let's get to it, by a vote of 800,000 to zero, COCHRAN HAS WON SURVIVOR CARAMOAN!!!! Congratulations you spindly fop. You not only played a more mature game this time around, but you played a patient game. And that, I believe, was the key to your success.

But wait, there's more! A million dollars (a dead cockroach and some kite string if you're Jeff Kent) is nice and all, but it pales in comparison to this awesomeness:

*runs to drag the baby pool full of glitter that I keep on standby for such occasions* Come on everyone, we're all diving in. I broke through the fourth wall and that sassy Dimples actually said my name. It's naked time!

So, that's that. What did you think of Survivor Caramoan? Did the right person win? Why did Boston Rob get more airtime than people who actually played the game? Who wants to hit up Bitches Night at the Waggin' Tail Pub with me? Comment it out bitches and have a great day!

I will see you back here in September for Survivor: There Will Be Blood or whatever the hell they're calling it. You can also find me this summer at the Bitchy Big Brother Blog and as a co-host on the Big Brother Gossip Show.

If you've enjoyed what I've done here this season, please click on my PayPal button and show a bitch some love.

I did feel that the amigos in the jury cackling at Sherri were a little deluded in their dismissal of her as a player. She pretty much ran things at the original fans' tribe though she did it without being obvious. She is one of the main reasons Eddie and Reynold(s) never stood a chance of getting a dominant cool-kids alliance going on the fans' tribe. When the tribes were jumbled and later merged she had to keep adapting her game and playing hard to stay on the right side of the numbers. She was never on the same chopping block that the other fans were ... because of her game. Eddie was the one "carried" into the final 4/5 without every being on the winning side of a vote and without ever being part of an actual dominant game strategy. All in all I think it was a deserving final three, and the cackling amigos just did not realize how Sherri beat them. I suppose her biggest fault was in thinking that she had a chance against Cochran in the final three (as you point out).

jeff, I knew that I had read this prediction somewhere...just couldn't put my finger on it. I was searching everywhere for it, and actually thought that perhaps I had dreamed it (or imagined it) Thank you for noting it here (again)

Brilliant final recap; opening paragraph that I had to read twice because it was so gorgeous; hilarious final tribal summation (and yes, you were right to leave out the Brenda bit--last week I agreed with Jeff it would be a good idea, but regretted the impulse after seeing it happen--poor Dawn); I do think that, as we lost GB, Cochran deserved the win. As I don't drink I stayed away from gin and instead ate a handful of oxy with a side of Valium and just drifted through fantasies of Malcolm's hair sweeping across my naked body on a sun-kissed beach...until I woke up to the sound of your name being read by Dimples (as though he had no idea who you were). A medium-fun night.

I have to say, the fallen heroes bit is especially ridiculous when they don't even put them on-stage for the reunion; they apparently really are dead and gone. Does Boston Rob have a life outside of reality TV? And are we finally, finally, rid of Phillip Shepherd? If not, there really will be blood.

One last question for you, Madame: will you be live, in person, as a co-host of the BB Gossip Show? I don't watch the TV show, but I'd tune in to that. Great job this season, bitch!

I'm especially pleased you didn't spend time talking about Brenda's abhorrent behavior at tribal council. If brenda's delusional enough to think the Dawn should have put her "friendship" with her ahead of winning the million bucks, which would undoubtedly be life changing for Dawn's family, then brenda only deserves contempt and my eternal disgust. Ugh she's the worst.

And why did we have to hear from survivors from the 1940s? Who cares. Their seasons are over. I wanted to hear from Eric about what happened to him out there considering he had been eating the whole time. I wanted to hear from Eddie about his complete lack of competitiveness. Instead they trot out Richard hatch.

On a cheerier note. Am I the only one that thinks there was a lot of evidence that both Malcolm and Dame Reynold may have started partying many hours before the Reunion show even started? They seemed a tad unfocused and spoke very quickly. They made me laugh.

As I always wonder with "reality" TV, I questioned whether you actually authored the Malcolm tweet, which seemed decidedly less purple than your ordinary prose, or whether instead this moment was contrived as a nod in your direction...

I applaud you your choice not to sink your teeth into Calgon's unwilling imitation of the Duck Dynasty clan, but my continued fealty rests on the assumption that your deserved popularity with the objects of your scorn and adulation will not nudge you closer to more pedestrian commentary. We, your public, crave the rapier's edge, and abhor the blunt instruments wielded by most of the vendors of your craft. Scorching the pretensions of deserving survivor earthlings while occasionally catapulting them to Odyssian levels is a unique privilege and not to be squandered on the fleetness of fame....so keep up the GREAT work and ignore all the rest....

Cochran was indeed the best man in this one. The out witter out played and out lasted. But as the Bard once said,

"The best in this kind are but shadows, and theworst are no worse, if imagination amend them."

Thanks for all of your "amendments" this year Fantastic as usual and I look forward to more...and more!

Yes, I wrote the tweet. Dimples asked for submissions on Twitter and I went nuts asking all sorts of crazy questions that I thought would be the most likely to make it to air. I knew if I asked something colorful and crazy, they wouldn't ask it.

GB's response to your tweet was, shall we say somewhat addled....he had said in the after show that he had been digging for hours and was ready to bail by the time Masc. showed up. But the question was actually totally irrelevant. Hearing your name uttered by the Screaming Eagle (or whatever the Specialist called him) was some sort of orange sunshinish fantasy meets reality meets fantasy moment...really fantastic!

So Erik was interviewed by EW and said that he had some sort of infection from a cut on his leg which caused all of the dizziness and confusion he felt during and after tribal council. He said that his brother noticed it during the reward challenge and he consulted the Survivor doctors who just told him to stay hydrated as much as he could. So technically he was not removed due to malnutrition and dehydration like it seemed. He then went on with some drivel about his fantastic strategy and I began to nod off...

The finale was okay but the reunion was disgusting in my own opinion.Interviews with Boston Rob, Rudy and 2 randoms from the audience seemed more important than people who actually travelled to the Philippines. I hate Probst and blame him entirely for Survivor jumping the shark. Oh well we have you to always make it bearable.See you in September and congrats for getting your tweet read.

I also can't see the necessity of dragging "Boston Rob" to the limelight once again. But then - it looks like he was there to promote his new book (maybe not much left of the Survivor money, thus new venture) of "BR Rules" or some such.All that is boring and takes away from Survivor . *Yawn*

I was talking with someone earlier about how I think the show has suffered since Dimples became an Executive Producer. Do we know the exact year he began to get some control? I wonder if a correlation can be made to the timing of his leadership and the show's weird turn away from what Survivor used to be.

High points: the Lala tweet, 'Sherri, I don't have a question for you', Theddie going into EMT mode and sounding like he has a functioning brain for the first and last time season, Sherri's expression when she realised Survivor is a social game not a chance to interview prospective junior employees, Dawn's expression when she realised Survivor is a social game where you can't constantly pluck the discordant strings of the sympathy harp before using the same harp to brain people who give you sympathy.

I'm a bit disappointed that the Hantz boys obviously fell off their horses on their way to the re-enactment of High Noon at the reunion. They had probably blindsided their horses at a previous tribal council.

I have to say Brenda managed to utterly destroy any feelings I had that Dawn had given her the rough end of the pineapple. I expected a zinger from Brenda and ended up throwing up instead.

Just for the record I have been seen at the dog bar in Sydney. It's kinda cool.

A long, long Lalaless stretch until September, sluiced in boredom and ennui.

So - I was thinking that Brenda being due was odd and they couldn't possibly let her be preggers during filming, but how could at least 9 months have gone by since filming - so I looked up and found out that Caramoan was filmed in May & June of last year.

Oddly - Philippines was filmed in April and March of the same year. BUT - the show didn't air until September, AFTER Caramoan had been filmed and wrapped.

He couldn't have possibly been a "fan" favorite because at filming, no one had a clue he was even on Survivor yet, because Philippines hadn't even aired.

It actually blows my mind that they could have a whole season of Survivor in the can before even airing the previous season.

I thought it was very odd as well. Survivor is a global franchise with shows shot in many languages. One would presume they all share sites, challenge sets and logistical elements. I wonder if there was a back-up of shoots of all these Survivor enterprises that caused Caramoan to be filmed so early.

A lot of the material CBS posts in the US is geoblocked in Australia and is never released by the network which carries Survivor here. Even some episodes of the After Show are geoblocked. As far as I know there has never been a Region 4 release of any Survivor DVD. Although you people all sound funny, there is real need to translate anything. CBS may be running a global franchise but they seem completely unaware of their global audience.

I suspect they get their business advice on international distribution from Sherri and Theddie.

Alan, that's interesting. It's always about money. My guess is the Australian network is not paying for the internet content. CBS makes some of the internet content available down under to wet your appetites so you will holler at the local network.

If Aussies are watching the show, I wouldn't mind some Aussie contestants.

I can't see that CBS would be able to make a whole lot of revenue from flogging Internet content to the Nine Network, although perhaps they think they can. The DVD decision is incomprehensible.

There was a completely dismal thing called Australian Survivor that only ran to one season. They decided to go cold and you had weeks of people visibly shivering on the Skeleton Coast in South Australia while Antarctic storms blew in from the Southern Ocean. It was as exciting as watching Calgon emote or Theddie strategise.

Disappointed that you skipped the Brenda part because Dawn happens to be the friend of your blog. It was actually quite something! The game might be the game, but the feelings are real, and I do not blame Brenda for this "eye for an eye". It was quite intense, too.Remember, quiet Brenda got 35% of votes for being favourite (Malcolm got 36% - only slightly more despite his idols and flowing hair and what not) - I would attribute it to her "final judgement" performance. Good for you, Brenda!

I think those votes may have been a little different if they'd been cast after broadcast of the final tribal council.

Brenda was a slightly strange player in Nicaragua, endless confessionals about being in control, but she was booted without a lot of warning and largely by her own allies. She actively declined to scramble to save herself even telling Dimples she wasn't prepared to scramble if that was what was needed to stay.

I think her demand to Dawn had nothing to do with the game and was, rather like much of what she did in Nicaragua, purely about how she sees herself. The demand was pointless and ineffectual anyway because the retainerless Dawn had already been broadcast.

We are never going to know, but I wonder how or if the jury vote would have changed if Dawn had said: 'No, that's out of line'.

Favorite reference was Aileen Wournos. Favorite comment was "approaching Freebush and placing a bag over her head". Favorite speech was Dame Renolds' jury production. Favorite blogger was/is YOU! Love how you spin things and I wonder just how your mind does work. Maybe I will find out at the Waggin' Tail Pub. See you this summer at BB.

Things I loved in this recap.....Erik's symptom, "terminally boring". that was funny right there.

"sexonastick" picture caption. too much!

Description of Freebush's opening statement. "she falls over and drools in the dirt"....cochran and dimples decide it's not worth it to help her up. She was so delusional to think she had a chance. I think her husband is going to be embarrassed, not proud of her. sheesh

I agree about the way you count Cochran's challenge wins, vs the way he counts. As much as I like him, he is not a challenge beast. He did not win fair and square. He's a little bit delusional there.

Loved the clip of Freebush asking Cochran was he thought "pawn" meant. What an idiot she is.

Cochran's responses to everyone on the jury's questions/comments were so well put together. I loved his response to Malcolm about being insecure....his response about being at the bar with the amigos and the girls on either side of him was also good. He has a way with words that is for sure.

I agree with the commentor who said they thought the teeth thing was a good idea also, but then rethought it when it actually happened. Suddenly the idea didn't seem so grand anymore.

I was also surprised that the airing of these shows is so far after filming. These people had to wait a year to find out who won? that seems absurd. GB was picked as a "fan favorite", purely cause Dimples and crew already had a hunch he would be one. His game play, probably Lala's blog was also responsible.

I am nervous that the Hantz's are going to show up next season in the family version of Survivor. Could that be what Brandon wasn't at the reunion show, because they are filming now?? Bleck.....I hope not.

Great job with your recaps this season. So many great lines, you are very talented. I don't watch BB so I will have to wait until September I guess.

Calgon started to convince me that without her relationships Cochran would have not gotten to the Final. She was the one who endeared herself with Brenda, Andrea and Corinne. Calgon pulled in the key information that allowed for the Alliance to fend off rebellions before they could take root. Golden Boy is absolutely right. Own it! Her loss to Cochran definitely had to with her mercurial emotions, but it was also perceived rightly or wrongly that she needed Phillip and Cochran to make decisions on how to proceed through the game. I also think there is a bit of double standard for a mature woman that many view in a motherly light.

The ass-whooping the Cartwright boys brought on Freebush at the Final tribal made for great TV. She must have really really pissed them off. Colette, you said she is a bit of a twat outside the show and her jury speech revealed some of her pomposity. And as awkward as it was when Erik was determined to insult her instead of asking a question, Erik doesn't seem like a mean-spirited dude. Actually I loved her fire when she told Erik to sitdown. She had taken enough abuse and stood up for herself. Erik calling Freebush a "C" shell was crossing the line.

Erik's untimely departure screwed up any chance for any final strategery. Erik could have won immunity and sent Cochran (and perhaps also Calgon) home at one of the two last tribals. We missed out on a lot of closing play. Obviously, the two part challenge to win the final immunity was not planned. They needed to fill up airtime.

I used to love Boston Rob-arosa, but his Survivor omnipresence is suffocating the show.

So Colette, do you know when they start(ed) shooting for next season? because it airs in september, and I already heard who the supposed winner is. Or maybe that's hogwash because it hasn't even happened yet?? I don't want to know and hope that nothing has been decided yet for the bloodwater season.

Oh, and you should have posted something about Mowgli. Even just "Mowgli became dispicable". Next up ... Right or wrong this is a show recap and you skipped a big chaptor. I hope to never again see Mowgli or Calgon in any case.

If I was Calgon, at that point I would have said "I'm not going to win anyway, so I see no need to humiliate myself further to fill your perverse need of revenge." Mowgli should have stayed away from that. I DO think someone should have made Calgon cry, and Mowgli was the one who could have done. Both people were somewhat disicable this season to me.

Do you really believe your tweet was shown by sheer luck?Do you really believe they don't know who you are?How you are becoming more "Survivor Franchise" than they?How your blog is better than the show?How you must be dealt with?

then they said, due to my handsome good looks and devil-may-care charm, I had been invited to dine with three Survivor Caramoan castaways! The day was a bit of a blur, but I’ll try to recall my thoughts as best I can, dearest diary.

First up was brunch at Brenda’s.

Wow, what a lovely table setting! Brenda sure has gone to a lot of trouble. Too bad she’s responsible for the most classless act I’ve ever seen at a tribal council. For a woman to do that to another woman, for petty revenge, was vile. There’s no way I’m eating at her table. I think I’ll just steal a bottle of wine and head over to Sherri’s ghastly McMansion.

Then I sat down to lunch at Sherri's.

Oh my Christ, is this woman dull. Shut up about your goddamn 401k, you silicon titted stick insect! Oh great, now she’s bitching about her employees again. I really wanna stab her mouth, but what to use? This butter knife? Oh don't be so unoriginal - everyone uses knives to stab with. Why not use that pepper mill there? That should make an interesting sound...

And finally, I had dinner at Dawn's.

Hey this Dawn lady is alright. I mean, this bread is absolutely delicious! And how cool was she a moment ago, when she was smiling and chatting and making sure everyone was being fed, like a good little Carol Brady, when she nicked her finger with a bread knife and quickly said ‘motherfucker’ under her breath, then chuckled to herself and morphed straight back into Carol Brady? I bet she’d be great fun drunk. Too bad she’s a mormon. Hey I know! I’ll slip a few oxycontins into her mashed potato...

Love your blog! I look forward to it next season maybe even more than the actual show! HA!

At our house, Caldracula/Calgon was "Survivor Gollum". Never knew whether Gollum or Smiegel would appear and spew out her mouth. But in the humane interest of not excessively Dawn-bashing, and out of just plain old curiosity, can't help wonder...what caused those demonic appearances? Did the woman genuinely require exorcism, or is starvation the culprit? Was this a pre-existing condition? Cuz surely any person responsible for six underage individuals could not be THAT crazy, um, right? Heck, I'd gnaw my own arm and draw blood and protein before I'd act like SHE did....truly! It really makes us wannabe Survivor applicants wonder if we could hack it out there with no food. I am dying to know whether starvation explains the crazies. I always envision spending my free time hunting rodents and vegetation, rather than starving and going nutz. Cuz seriously......

Colette ,I remember Hero's vs Villians ? (I think )when James was pulled from the game for medical reasons ,that he came to tribal as an juror with a IV running in his arm .I also think ,but am not sure that Jonathan was med vac from the game ,and came to tribal as an juror.

Was on a cruise so just got to watch the finale. Cochran is the new Ian. Apparently nerds do well on reality shows. If it couldn't be a three amigo I'm glad it was Cochran. Never was a fan of Dawns but Brenda was disgusting and I actually felt bad for Dawn. And I get Freebush was there as a freebie only but I thought it was pretty harsh for everyone to treat her like a big joke. Favorite part of reunion show was your tweet being read. That was pretty cool! All your tweets were worth it! Great recaps and can't wait until Big Brother! Oh, and GB just gets prettier :)Misslizzy

I've got a tip about an exciting new Survivor-related project that you might want to write about. I can't find your contact info on this page, so I'll put this here and you can just delete it later. Send me a message if you want to get the details. I don't want to clutter your comments page with a link. Hope you're having a great summer!

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